Senator Ferrioli: Dem leader recession-over claim is false

Salem, OR — Responding to a declaration of victory over unemployment by the Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin (R-Lake Oswego), Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day) had the following to say about the newest unemployment numbers: “I am afraid it is more than a little premature for the Majority Leader to declare “˜Mission Accomplished’ in the fight against Oregon’s chronically high unemployment rate. In fact, if the Majority Leader were to look at the numbers, he would realize that many of the new jobs are temporary or only exist for the purpose of slowing some of the hemorrhaging caused by this recession.

“Half of the “˜new jobs’ the Majority Leader brags on aren’t long-term family wage jobs at all, but temporary hiring of census workers. The financial services and real estate industries only added jobs to deal with increased foreclosures and the glut of unsold and vacant homes. While it is true the construction industry added 1,300 jobs, Oregon needs an additional 41,000 jobs in the construction sector just to return to pre-recession levels.

“While the Majority Leader is encouraged, I think he would find most Oregon families are still deeply concerned about an unemployment rate that remains stuck above the national average at 10%.”